Literary Devices The following are artful additions to writing that author’s use to make their work more interesting and literary. These are just ten of >60

Metaphor Compares two unlike things, implying shared characteristics, where one thing is said to be the other. A book is a window to past and future worlds.

Simile Compares two unlike things using the words like or as. Then join you with them, like a rid of steel, to make strength stronger.

This backpack weighs a ton! Hyperbole An exaggeration This backpack weighs a ton!

Personification Giving human characteristics to nonhuman things or ideas. The wind played with her hair as she stood on the dock.

Denotation The dictionary definition of a word. Pig: any of a family of stout short legged hooved mammals with brisely skin and a long flexible snout.

Connotation All the feelings and ideas associated with a word. Pigs are smelly, dirty, greedy, and poorly behaved animals.

Symbolism When something you can sense takes the place of something you can’t. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom.

Imagery When the author paints a mental picture. The tree was a dried and cracked mess against the sky, tearing the blue sky into blue strips.

Foreshadowing Provides a hint about future events in the story. The men call the island dangerous, a man eater. All those go there are doomed never to return.

Irony When the opposite of what is expected is said or occurs. Saying “We should go for a walk!” on a rainy day. Three Types: Verbal, Situational, and Dramatic

Irony Three Types: Verbal- saying one thing and meaning another; sarcasm is a form of verbal irony Situational, and Dramatic

Irony Three Types: Situational-When you expect one thing to happen and the opposite occurs. Dramatic- When the audience knows something that the character does not know

Irony Three Types: Verbal- saying one thing and meaning another; sarcasm is a form of verbal irony